Gerald Patterson

Gerald Leighton Patterson MC (17 December 1895 – 13 June 1967) was an Australian tennis player.

Gerald Patterson
MC

Country (sports)	Australia
Born	(1895-12-17)17 December 1895 Preston, Australia
Died	13 June 1967(1967-06-13) (aged 71) Melbourne, Australia
Turned pro	1914 (amateur tour)
Retired	1928
Plays	Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Int. Tennis HoF	1989 (member page)
Singles
Career record	267–63 (80.9%)
Career titles	28
Highest ranking	No. 1 (1919, A. Wallis Myers)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	W (1927)
French Open	4R (1928)
Wimbledon	W (1919, 1922)
US Open	SF (1922, 1924)
Doubles
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	W (1914, 1922, 1925, 1926, 1927)
Wimbledon	F (1922, 1928)
US Open	W (1919)
Mixed doubles
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Wimbledon	W (1920)

Patterson was active in the decade following World War I. During his career he won three Grand Slam tournaments in the singles event as well as six titles in the doubles competition and one title in mixed doubles. He was born in Melbourne, educated at Scotch College and Trinity Grammar School and died in Melbourne on 13 June 1967. He was the co-World No. 1 player for 1919 along with Bill Johnston.

Playing career

Tall and well-built, Patterson played a strong serve-and-volley game. At Wimbledon 1919, Patterson beat 41-year-old Norman Brookes, who was defending champion (Brookes' 1914 title was the last held before World War 1) in the Challenge Round. At Wimbledon 1922, the Challenge Round was abolished and Patterson won the title (the first to be held at the current site at Church Road) beating Randolph Lycett in the final. In 1927, Patterson was five championship points down in the Australian singles final against Jack Hawkes, but won in five sets.

Patterson was known as the "Human Catapult" for his powerful serve that many of the top players had trouble returning. He also enjoyed great success representing Australia in Davis Cup and amassed a 32–14 win–loss record (singles 21–10, doubles 11–4) and was part of the winning team in 1919. Patterson played Davis Cup in 1920, 1922, 1924, 1925, 1928 and finally as captain in 1946. He was a player ahead of his time, playing with a steel racquet strung with wire in 1925.

He was inducted into the Sport Australia Home of Fame in December 1986. This was followed by induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1989 and the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame in August 1997.

Personal life

Patterson was the nephew of Australian opera singer Dame Nellie Melba and father of racing driver Bill Patterson. In 1917, Patterson was awarded the Military Cross for "conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty" as an officer in the Royal Field Artillery at Messines.

Grand Slam finals

Gerald Patterson playing a forehand stroke

Singles: 7 (3 titles, 4 runners-up)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	1914	Australasian Championships	Grass	Arthur O'Hara Wood	4–6, 3–6, 7–5, 1–6
Win	1919	Wimbledon	Grass	Norman Brookes	6–3, 7–5, 6–2
Loss	1920	Wimbledon	Grass	Bill Tilden	6–2, 3–6, 2–6, 4–6
Loss	1922	Australasian Championships	Grass	James Anderson	0–6, 6–3, 6–3, 3–6, 2–6
Win	1922	Wimbledon	Grass	Randolph Lycett	6–3, 6–4, 6–2
Loss	1925	Australasian Championships	Grass	James Anderson	9–11, 6–2, 2–6, 3–6
Win	1927	Australian Championships	Grass	John Hawkes	3–6, 6–4, 3–6, 18–16, 6–3

Doubles: 14 (6 titles, 8 runners-up)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Win	1914	Australasian Championships	Grass	Ashley Campbell	Rodney Heath Arthur O'Hara Wood	7–5, 3–6, 6–3, 6–3
Win	1919	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Norman Brookes	Vincent Richards Bill Tilden	8–6, 6–3, 4–6, 4–6, 6–2
Win	1922	Australasian Championships	Grass	John Hawkes	James Anderson Norman Peach	8–10, 6–0, 6–0, 7–5
Loss	1922	Wimbledon	Grass	Pat O'Hara Wood	James Anderson Randolph Lycett	6–3, 9–7, 4–6, 3–6, 9–11
Loss	1922	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Pat O'Hara Wood	Vincent Richards Bill Tilden	6–4, 1–6, 3–6, 4–6
Loss	1924	Australasian Championships	Grass	Pat O'Hara Wood	James Anderson Norman Brookes	2–6, 4–6, 3–6
Loss	1924	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Pat O'Hara Wood	Howard Kinsey Robert Kinsey	5–7, 7–5, 9–7, 3–6, 4–6
Win	1925	Australasian Championships	Grass	Pat O'Hara Wood	James Anderson Fred Kalms	6–4, 8–6, 7–5
Loss	1925	U.S. National Championships	Grass	John Hawkes	R. Norris Williams Vincent Richards	2–6, 10–8, 4–6, 9–11
Win	1926	Australasian Championships	Grass	John Hawkes	James Anderson Pat O'Hara Wood	6–1, 6–4, 6–2
Win	1927	Australian Championships	Grass	John Hawkes	Ian McInness Pat O'Hara Wood	8–6, 6–2, 6–1
Loss	1928	Wimbledon	Grass	John Hawkes	Jacques Brugnon Henri Cochet	11–13, 4–6, 4–6
Loss	1928	U.S. National Championships	Grass	John Hawkes	John Hennessey George Lott	2–6, 1–6, 2–6
Loss	1932	Australian Championships	Grass	Harry Hopman	Jack Crawford Edgar Moon	10–12, 3–6, 6–4, 4–6

Mixed doubles: 1 (1 title)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Win	1920	Wimbledon	Grass	Suzanne Lenglen	Elizabeth Ryan Randolph Lycett	7–5, 6–3

Grand Slam singles performance timeline

Key

W

F

SF

QF

#R

RR

Q#

DNQ

A

NH

(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.

Events with a challenge round: (W_C) won; (CR) lost the challenge round; (F_A) all comers' finalist

(OF) only for French players

Tournament	1914	1915	1916	1917	1918	1919	1920	1921	1922	1923	1924	1925	1926	1927	1928	SR	W–L	Win %
Australian	F	A	not held			3R1	A	A	F	A	2R	F	1R	W	QF	1 / 8	21–6	77.8
French	OF	not held					OF					A	A	A	4R	0 / 1	2–1	66.7
Wimbledon	A	not held				WC	CR	A	W	A	A	A	A	A	4R	2 / 4	17–2	89.5
U.S.	A	A	A	A	A	4R	A	A	SF	A	SF	A	A	A	A	0 / 3	10–3	76.9
Win–loss	3–1	0–0	0–0	0–0	0–0	11–1	0–1	0–0	13–2	0–0	5–2	5–1	0–1	6–0	7–3	3 / 16	50–12	80.6

¹Patterson was the first tennis player to play in three Grand Slam singles tournaments within one calendar year.

External links

• Gerald Patterson at the International Tennis Hall of Fame
• Gerald Patterson at the Association of Tennis Professionals
• Gerald Patterson at the International Tennis Federation
• Gerald Patterson at the Davis Cup
• Gerald Patterson at Tennis Australia
• Australian Dictionary of Biography article